TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Colorado lawmakers appear to have finally reached consensus on so-called “construction defects reform” legislation, which could bring an end to a long-running argument — five years, in fact — regarding legal liabilities for homebuilders. The House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee is expected to make amendments that will advance HB17-1279 this afternoon.

Elsewhere, state legislators are still battling over the state budget, which is the only bill that they are Constitutionally-mandated to pass each session. Governor John Hickenlooper is expressing confidence that there will be no need for a “special session” later this summer.

► Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief after an upstart Democrat just fell short of the 50% required to win outright a Congressional seat that had been represented by Republican Rep. Tom Price (now President Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services). Democrat Jon Ossoff will now face Republican Karen Handelin a June runoff election for a seat that has historically been reliably-Republican. Democrats, meanwhile, are feeling good about what the Georgia Congressional race could portend for 2018.

► The Environmental Protection Agency is issuing a 90-day stay on the enforcement of new methane emissions rules. Scott Pruitt, the head of the EPA, informed the oil and gas industry of the move in a letter Wednesday to the American Petroleum Institute.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in 2018. The high-profile Republican says that he is stepping away from politics to return “to the private sector,” but isn’t ruling out a future run for higher office.

He has gained a reputation in the legislature as a lawmaker who is more likely to vote “no” than “yes.” At least one fellow lawmaker nicknamed Everett, “Dr. No,” a play on the James Bond villain, as reported this week by Colorado Public Radio’s Vic Vela.

“It’s not just a straight, ‘no,’” Everett explained when asked by Colorado Politics. “I come up with ideas and solutions.

“Saying ‘no’ in some cases and having the political will to do that I think is going to be necessary … Somebody has got to be the adult.”

How is it that just always voting ‘NO’ is some sort of medal of honor?

► Ernest Luning of the Colorado Statesman reports on legislative efforts to attempt to lower the minimum age for running for legislative office in Colorado:

A bipartisan group of legislators wants to ask voters whether to lower the minimum age to serve in Colorado’s General Assembly from 25 to 21.

A decade after voters shot down an identical proposal at the polls, lawmakers are back with legislation to refer a constitutional amendment to the 2018 ballot, and they say the arguments haven’t aged.

“We ask 21-year-olds to pay taxes, yet they can’t be involved in the legislation determining how the state spends its money. I think it’s only fair,” state Sen. Michael Merrifield, D-Colorado Springs, one of the prime sponsors of Senate Concurrent Resolution 17-001, told The Colorado Statesman.

Colorado is one of only three states — the others are Utah and Arizona — that set the minimum age at 25 for all of its lawmakers, sponsors of the proposal argue, while nearly every other state allows 21-year-olds or even 18-year-olds to run for the legislature. (A few states set higher requirements for the state Senate but allow 21-year-olds to run for the House.)

► Fox News windbag Bill O’Reilly is apparently getting booted off the network in the wake of news that Fox has had to settle multiple sexual harassment claims directed at the highest-rated cable talk show host in America.

► As the Denver Post reports, Rep. Scott Tipton (R-Cortez) is the target of a new round of television ads intended to convince Tipton to get on board with another potential Obamacare repeal effort:

The 30-second spot, paid for by the Trump-aligned group America First Policies, urges viewers to call Tipton and thank him for “his courage and for standing with President Trump to repeal Obamacare now.”

The oddity comes from the fact that Tipton, R-Cortez, was the only House Republican from Colorado to publicly declare that he would have voted against the GOP health-care plan that collapsed last month — telling The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction afterward that he was opposed to the legislation. Before the vote, Tipton had been noncommittal.

The White House wants to try again, however, and America First Policies is spending $3 million to encourage a dozen House Republicans to get on board.

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What do you call someone who served as county commissioner, secretary of state, ran unsuccessfully for governor and U.S. senator (but not at the same time), and finished in second place some 30% behind the first place finisher in a U.S. house race?

Between her general unpopularity in the district, and your Hero the Buffoon-in-Chief and his Band of Bozos pulling a few more turds out of their hats, I'd say you're whistling past the graveyard on this one

What a hack Tipton is! It'll be interesting to see if either Gary Harmon or Charles Ashby of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel will bother to report on the tidbit that Tipton was playing it both ways on health care. Any bets?

As expected, Scotty was bombarded with pointed questions from his constituents. He was not heckled, even though his answers were often illogical and never actually answered the questions asked. A small sample:

17 minutes in how do you reduce bronchitis and asthma admissions to childrens hospital if administration is gutting EPA regulations?

ST. EPA shows 4-5% drop in methane limitations. Voluntary regs are the way to go.

22 minutes in : ? re Trump’s lack of transparency. No taxes. Is it acceptable to you that our leader’s tax returns are unclear? Will you lead in congress to advocate for trump to release his tax returns.

ST: I strongly urge Trump to release his tax returns, but its voluntary. He’s under audit doncha know. (crowd boos)

From audience Do you support HR305

23 minutes in. You didn’t answer previous question. Where are you on planned parenthood funding. How do you justify voting against = pay for women.

ST: when did I vote against = pay for women?

Questioner comes up with chapter and verse where ST voted against paycheck fairness act, stumbles around, says, “I voted for violence against women.” Great job, Scot.

25:30 I am so concerned about the privatization of all our public land assets. You cosponsored a bill to transfer copermitting of oil and gas permits to the state. You have also not come out in support of the land and water conservation fund. Why aren’t you fully authorizing the land and water conservation fund? I bring that up because you had spoken in favor of the land and water conservation fund, which has funded many projects in this valley. Why haven’t you voted for full funding of LWCF?

Since its paid for by royalties from offshore oil drilling, not taxes, why aren’t you voting for it?

My comment: this makes no fricking sense at all. Public lands and public parks are underfunded, therefore Scot Tipton won’t vote for offshore oil drilling to fund maintenance. HUH?

Same questioner got the next raffle allowing her to follow up question, but her request was denied. “Next question.”

Then a question about fracking and water contamination at 32:00 ST claims that "according to Secretary Jewell, there has been not one instance of fracking contaminating the water table."

At 37:00, ST gets a question about the affordable care act and repeal of same. His response is that health is really important, and premiums are a great concern. zzzzzzzz.

Questioner follow up with question about fracking and seismic activity. ST dodges this question, too. with platitudes about safety in his soothing, soporific voice.

I'd continue in this vein, except Scott Tipton's voice really does put me right to sleep. If he ever gets voted out of office, he could make a great living as a voice-over on tapes for insomniacs. He could just say "Mumbo jumbo mumbo jumbo safety nice good great all of the above." ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz